>> for the following individuals, the late victims of the earthquake in sendai japan. >> is there any more business in front of this body? >> that concludes our business for today, mr. president. >> ladies and tillman, we are returned -- adjourned. supervisor chu: hello. welcome to the regular meeting of the budget and finance subcommittee. my name is carmen chu, chair of the committee. unjoint by supervisors -- i'm joined by supervisors mirkarimi and kim. >> please turn off cell phones and pagers. if you wish to speak during public comment, please fill out a speaker card and had them in to myself. if you wish to submit a documentary committee, provided documents to the clerk for the file. items before the committee today will appear before the board of supervisors on march 30, unless otherwise stated. supervisor chu: thank you very much. quick announcement to the public -- i apologize, but i intend to call item 6 before i call items four and five, so i just want to make sure people know. can we go to item one please? >> item 1, resolution designating those agencies qualified to bridg

japan. the news prompted expatriates and japanese alike to crowd airports and roads looking for ways out. many left sendai, north of the damaged nuclear plant. abc news' clarissa ward reports from osaka japan, about 360 miles southwest of the plant. >> reporter: we've come down to the southern city of osaka, it's about 240 miles south of tokyo. the reason we've come here, of course, is because of that increasingly dicey situation at the nuclear plant in fukushima. the japanese military is now dumping water literally into a hole in the roof of reactor number three, caused by an explosion. and they were spraying water on reactor number four. they tried yesterday and had to abort due to high levels of radiation. all in an attempt to cool down the radioactive rods that are now fully exposed. all day long, the last line of defense against a full-on nuclear catastrophe has been a small group of employees, working deep inside the plant, armed with flashlights and hoses. it would be hard to describe how alarming this is right now, an american official told abc news. he said, everyone recognizes this is a suicide

in sendai, japan right now.ent is right there near the fukushima nuclear reactor. tough situation. to think about going back there at this point. probably not the best idea. >> no, it is rough. we are following a number of other headlines for you this morning. jeff glor is standing by at the news desk with a look at those for us. >> good morning, everyone. and forces, moammar gadhafi have reportedly retaken the key oil port of brega in libya this morning. libyan jets this morning also launched air strikes in the rebel held town of it ajdibiya. rebels in brega were one of the strongest groups opposed to gadhafi. gadhafi did meet with diplomats yesterday from india, russia and china. he wants investment from their countries in libya's oil industry. >>> libya tops the agenda today for secretary of state hillary clinton who arrived in paris this morning. she'll meet with representatives of the anti-gadhafi rebels and with european officials who favor establishing a no fly zone in libya. tomorrow she flies into cairo

>> for the following individuals, the late victims of the earthquake in sendai japan. >> is there any more business in front of this body? >> that concludes our business for today, mr. president. >> ladies and tillman, we are returned -- adjourned. >> i work with the department of environment and we are recycling oil. thank you. we can go into a refinery and we can use it again. they do oil changes and sell it anyway, so now they know when a ticket to a. hal>> to you have something you want to get rid of? >> why throw it away when you can reuse it? >> it can be filtered out and used for other products. >> [speaking spanish] >> it is going to be a good thing for us to take used motor oil from customers. we have a 75-gallon tank that we used and we have someone take it from here to recycle. >> so far, we have 35 people. we have collected 78 gallons, if not more. these are other locations that you can go. it is absolutely free. you just need to have the location open. you are set to go. >> welcome to "culture wire." on this episode, we explore what it means to the aged, in today's societ

are still having difficulty reaching the quake hit areas there are several others are missing on japan sendai island just to remind you that is the coastal area of japan closest to the epicenter of the quake . there are about fifty fires along the coastline and around four million homes are without power at the moment according to japan's prime minister and multiply and he had given a speech earlier he said emergency response team is being assembled to tackle disaster it's been a very difficult for officials as they've reported because communication has been crippled the international airport has been a close since the earthquake russia's president has said that the country is ready to help japan and you'll be catastrophe let's remember that russia's karylle islands also is on a tsunami warning with waves there already being reported to be about a meter high and of the entire pacific region is on a tsunami alert we have why braced to be hit within the next few hours. ok well of course the tragedy in japan is impacting on stock markets as well let's get the details of. our chief business desk

>> for the following individuals, the late victims of the earthquake in sendai japan. >> is there any more business in front of this body? >> that concludes our business for today, mr. president. >> ladies and tillman, we are returned -- adjourned. >> hello. 9 judge terri l. jackson. the court is now recruiting prospective civil grand jurors. our goal is to develop a pool of candidates that is inclusive of all segments of our city's population. >> the jury conducts investigations and publishes findings and recommendations. these reports them become a key part of the civic dialog on how we can make san francisco a better place to live and work. >> i want to encourage anyone that is on the fence, is considering participating as a grand jury member, to do so. >> so if you are interested in our local city government and would like to work with 18 other enthusiastic citizens committed to improving its operations, i encourage you to consider applying for service on the civil grand jury. >> for more information, visit the civil grand jury website at sfgov.org/courts or call >> i pledge alleg

>> for the following individuals, the late victims of the earthquake in sendai japan. >> is there any more business in front of this body? >> that concludes our business for today, mr. president. >> ladies and tillman, we are returned -- adjourned. >> thanks for coming today. we are announcing are temporary homeowner's property tax reduction program. this is what most assessor's up and down the state are doing. homeowners are reliable -- of all property owners are eligible for a temporary, 1-year property-tax assessment reduction if they believe or if we believe dave -- the assess the value has fallen above their market value, which means that the value would be lower than the market value. in general, homeowners who are eligible, chances are, they purchased homes after 2003. we do get applicants who have owned homes since 1995 or earlier. in general, anybody who is owned their home prior to 2003, they are doing well, which is good news. chances are the market value is higher than the assessed value, meaning the property appreciate it. people we are able to offer little relief for, th

bbc news, sendai. >> japan has appealed for expert international nuclear help. the u.s. has sent a team of 34 with specialist equipment to monitor radiation and advise on containing leaks. they will also be considering how effective the japanese response has been. david shukman has been looking at the latest efforts. >> a day after day, new threats emerge at fukushima. multiple explosions, sudden rises and radiation have seemed so hazardous that only 50 workers are on site, trying to get things under control. here is what we think is happening. reactor one -- it's a housing exploded on saturday. there probably has been partial melting inside. reactor two is the most worrying. there is a potential breach inside it, the first possible damage to any of the reactors. it is thought this device which handles the pressure could have been breached, and this could be one source of leaking radiation. reactor three is also in trouble. the explosion in the outer building -- it may be a partial meltdown. high-level radiation has been measured nearby. and reactor four poses a threat a

>> for the following individuals, the late victims of the earthquake in sendai japan. >> is there any more business in front of this body? >> that concludes our business for today, mr. president. >> ladies and tillman, we are returned -- adjourned. >> i'm your host of "culturewire," and today, here at electric works in san francisco. nice to see you today. thanks for inviting us in and showing us your amazing facility today. >> my pleasure. >> how long has electric works been around? >> electric works has been in san francisco since the beginning of 2007. we moved here from brisbane from our old innovation. we do printmaking, gallery shows, and we have a fabulous retail store where there are lots of fun things to find. >> we will look at all of that as we walk around. it is incredible to me how many different things you do. how is it you identify that san francisco was in need of all these different services? >> it came from stepping out of graduate school in 1972. i wrote a little thing about how this is an idea, how our world should work. it should have printmaking, archiving, a gal

and truly, being here, we can't believe it ourselves either. >> mitchell: bill whitaker in sendai, japan. thank you so much. and still ahead on tonight's "cbs evening news", first the rain, now the floods. swollen rivers force hundreds to higher ground. >> mitchell: americans in some 23 states, from the nation's midsection through the east coast, are under flood warnings from heavy rains and melting snow. one of the hardest-hit states is new jersey, where jay dow is standing right in the middle of it in the town of lincoln park tonight. good evening. >> reporter: good evening to you, russ. where we are standing right now was dry and considered high ground just two days ago. and it will be another few days before homeowners can put away their boats and hip waders to begin a costly cleanup. river edge road in lincoln park, new jersey, is now part of the pompton river. streets, vehicles, basements and living rooms in this neighborhood are under three to five feet of water. >> the thing is being this close to the river... >> reporter: lifelong resident chris briton, who took us out for a tou

>> couric: bill whitaker reporting from sendai, japan tonight, bill, thank you. outside sendai along the coast, many smaller towns and villages exist now in name only. ben tracy shows us how natori, once a thriving farming town, has been turned into a wasteland. >> reporter: more than three days now after the earthquake hit and the tsunami roared through natori city, the homes are still smoldering and this is basically all that is left of this town that was once home to about 74,000 people, many of them farmers. now it's basically deserted. emergency vehicles are the only traffic on the roads and this man is one of the only people left in town. everyone else is gone because so are their homes. this used to be a neighborhood. now it's simply a debris field. these were houses. >> yes. >> reporter: now they're all gone. >> all gone. nothing. >> reporter: our driver used to take this street when he drove his family to the beach. he can't believe what's happened. >> the tsunami. >> reporter: then the tsunami came through. >> they cannot climb away to escape. >> reporte

as widespread as that damage is in northeast japan one place in particular took the hardest hit. sendaie closest town to the epicenter of this giant quake and the tsunami got there more quickly and with more force than anywhere else. bill whitaker reports. >> reporter: sendai is the center of destruction from the earthquake and tsunami is now the center of suffering and misery. the devastation is breathtaking. wreckage, debris, mud as far as the eye can see. the horror compounded by fires erupting everywhere. this woman, trapped in a car for 20 hours. earlier, this preschool children and their teacher rescued from the water by soldiers, one by one. this is a nation of survivors. this may look like a lake but it's actually a main thoroughfare through the city of sendai. people are walking and riding through here, as if lost. this man lost his wife. he's smiling because he just got word she might have ridden out the quake, and the tsunami on an upper floor of the airport. he's off to find her. this man's house is half-filled with muddy water. his business washed away. it's unbelievable, h

bill whitaker, cbs news, sendai, japan. >> couric: nearly five days after the earthquake and tsunami the search for survivors is becoming a race against time and a continuing battle against nature with snow now in the forecast. more than 7,500 people are listed as missing while nearly 26,000 have been rescued. today an elderly woman was found alive in the northern of ichinomaki. ben tracy spent the day traveling west from sendai and is now in niigata. ben, many people have been waiting in lines trying to find out the fate of their relatives and friends. what has that been like? >> reporter: katie, in one of the towns we went to called ichinomake we saw a long line outside the red cross hospital that we assumed was people seeking medical attention but, in fact, they were actually waiting in line to go inside this tent where there were names on tables and on the walls. these were names of people who had been treated at the hospital people who were still alive but then also a list of people who had been confirmed dead. so they were basically there to see the fate of their relatives. we

seiko thought her daughter and family in sendai japan were gone until yesterday. when she heard her daughter's voice. >> when i heard, i just cry. that's it. i said i already heard your voice. it's okay. >> reporter: it was a joyful moment in the chaos that is now her life. >> her husband's side is wiped out. >> reporter: there are long line for food and water. diapers are nowhere to be found. suzuki sent paul an update at the japanese cultural which & community center saying there is a shortage of everything. food, water, blankets. we are expecting minus temperatures again. osaki is already sending money. he knows getting supplies where people need it will be a challenge. after the kobe quake, bicycles were the only way to get aid delivered. >> organize thousands of volunteers who literally took them on their bicycles to get into homes and shelters that trucks and other vehicles couldn't get into at the time. >> reporter: the salvation army already has workers on the ground. >> an example of just how bad it is there. normally from tokyo to sendai, it is about a s

news this hour two hundred people are reportedly injured but there's several reported missing on japan sendai island just to remind you a large tsunami is sweeping through northeastern japan and this is following an earthquake thought to have been eight point nine on the richter scale so looking at your screens now are pictures from the devastated area of the climb trees northeast and it's not just japan of the first wave has reached russia's karylle islands to the north there tsunami warnings in both countries and in russia's school reliance the razor report of the about a metre high now in japan eleven thousand people are being evacuated from the area . and northern japan the water is surging in learned some three hundred fifty kilometers north of tokyo well we can see from the pictures of there is considerable damage and many casualties although officials say it is difficult to confirm the numbers at this point because of the devastation and because communication and lives have been a badly affected during the earthquake because if this is these are pictures from the actual quake when it w

japan. the blast has wiped out a building housing the nuclear reactor in sendai.ight now there are large amounts of radiation. it's still unclear how much radiation is in the air. we also don't know how hot that reactor is now. the explosion happened after the reactor's cooling system failed. the american red cross the jumping into action to help the -- now that nuclear power plant -- the toll is high from the devastating events. hundreds are dead and villages and cities are destroyed. the american red cross ceo barb larson. what is the american red cross going to help out overseas. >> we're in close communications with the japanese red cross, they're the primary providers of -- what we're doing is sending them money. >> what do they need out there? >> that's basically what they need. we were on alert yesterday from the american red cross to send supplies or actually our response teams, because japan is a resilient disaster country that they are really taking care of the disaster themselves but they do and will need the financial resources because it's going to be

that two hundred people have reportedly been washed away with several others are missing in japan's a sendai city where tokyo has been all but shut down as well with fires in injuries widely reported there as well millions are without electricity we know that the tsunami warning has extended to the number of pacific southwest asian and latin american nations including japan and russia as we were saying indonesia new zealand and chile back in japan are these international airport that's also been closed as a result of the government has issued a state of emergency at one of its nuclear plants all through schooling system failure so there are no reports though of a radiation leak twenty powerful aftershocks have been reported since the first quake which was the strongest ever recorded in japan since records began in vietnam. hundreds and it's also is thought to be to six the biggest ever well earthquake has now also been felt in hawaii measuring sample point five on the scale with the tsunami raised expected to hit that shore within just a few hours time. for more on the effects it's having in

several others missing on japan's sendai island that is the region closest coastal area closest to the epicenter of the quake. the quake has also been a felt in the capital tokyo all has been. all but shutdown with cars and injuries widely reported there the international airport has also been shut down millions are without electricity well the why is now bracing for a destructive wave to reach its shores within the next few hours and in a bulletin issued by the pacific tsunami warning center the tsunami could cause damage along close lines of all islands in hawaii so again a tsunami warning across all the countries in the pacific region including the western coast of the u.s. new zealand and mexico central and south america well let's have more on the effects it's having of the pacific region including russia's far east let's talk to our correspondent lisa no way i mean what is the latest that you're getting of from russia a solid invasion well unfortunately we have a loss and he said we'll try to bring her back later but. ok well let's just come back to that they had her again let me

cnn, sendai japan >> people in the japanese community's here are worried. the san francisco man has relatives and talks of his concerns for family members and this one is restaurant is doing to help. >> steve owns this s restaurant and has worried been worried since last week. the phone lines have been done. he got a call last night from his brothers and sisters and good news. >> beyond the damage. we have of an ongoing... there also okay. >> steve's family was lucky compared to thousands of lost everything. seizes the images are hard braking for him another is that of france, >> steve-and the damage of the earthquake/tsunami is massive it is difficult to watch the damage but now the damage from the chemical reactors. >> the chemicals, and so on i hope it does not were to happen like a hiroshima or nagasaki. >>reporter: he decided the right thing to do was to donate 10 percent of the profits to help relief efforts. >> i hope the can people per participate. perhaps help us out? to help them out. >>reporter: kron 4 jeff bush. >> jacqueline: a rainy forecast c

he says the destruction hitting sendai right now is just draw dropping. on the eastern coast of japan. i'm going to scroll a little bit up here so that i can see what else he's tweeting. he says right now tsunami eating up land, homes on sendai coast relentless. then he says a few minutes later this is the disaster japan has feared for decades. he did say that g.g. business report reporting that tokyo disneyland parking lot has been hit by a tsunami. now as we speak apparently the japanese prime minister is addressing the nation. she appealing for public calm in this quick of this massive quake and destructive tsunami and just two minutes ago my friend steve says the first fatalities are now being confirmed from this massive quake and tsunami. just tweeted one more time. see what this is. and it says japan to accept foreign assistance for quake tsunami search and rescue. so again, my friend rosa, my first stephen dealing with this major, major quake and tsunami in japan. >> japan has one of the best search-and-rescue teams in terms of dealing with earthquakes. they travel around the w

japan. most notably near the city of sendai. >> okay. and sendai, we know, faces the pacific. finitely one of the larger cities in japan. so, what do you think we can be expecting to see in comparison to that indonesian tsunami? >> well, the indonesian tsunami was epic. the one that we're seeing in japan is nowhere near as big. but due to the coastal population along japan, it is going to have just devastating impact, as we have seen from many of the videos that are coming out now. >> and let me ask you this, too. we know that there are tsunami watches and warnings in other parts of the world. countries like russia, mexico, chile, peru, also in the state of hawaii. what are the likelihood that they will feel the ramifications of all of this? >> warnings have been issued for hawaii. and right about now, midway island is experiencing the tsunami coming through there, according to our information. it will be another few hours before it gets to the hawaiian islands. but they have been on alert. and they are evacuating coastal areas. but as you know, in the hawaiian islands, most of

the helicopter's taking on fuel and we're going up to the sendai earthquake zone. japan is not a massive country, but part of that sendai area is quite remote. some of the roads have been damaged. there are mountains in the greater area around there, and that's hampering not just assessment, but also relief and the delivery of supplies. on the hour-long ride to the city of sendai, near the epicenter, little evidence of the earthquake. much of the countryside appears unscathed. but as the chopper turns to the coast, the full extent of the devastation reveals itself. huge swaths of land along the coast remain under water. we fly past this massive plume of black smoke, billowing 3,000 feet into the air. the petro-chemical plant below has been burning since the earthquake struck and oil is spilling into the water. the government says it has already rescued 12,000 people. but up in sendai, the worst-hit area, they are expecting bad weather. that's not good for the rescue operation and it is not good for any nuclear radiation fallout. david? >> really something to see it from

japan. lester holt in is tokyo and ann curry is on her way to sendai. that's coming up at seven:00. we'll also check back with george kiriyama who's in japan later this hour and we'll have a report from japan on the desperate search for survivors there. >>> right now we'll change it up a little bit and check in on the weather around here. rob, what do you have? >> well, we did see temperatures today that were actually pretty mild by our standards. we had some mid-60s earlier. right now san jose 60 degrees. we've got a southeast wind close to 8 miles per hour. breezy in oakland, some light rain nearby. currently 59 degrees. as we take you back to san francisco, notice the wind direction south of 15. we've had pretty mild air coming in from the south throughout the day today. some of our weather headlines will have rain at times this evening. look out for high surf on the coast. yes, more rain will come in as we get our way towards tuesday. right now pretty good line of showers here dropping into vallejo and napa, off to the west of san francisco. we've been watching this line of rain

inch the 65 years after the end of world war ii, this is the toughest, most difficult crisis for japan. sendai and surrounding areas resellle a war zone as troops race to pull the living from the ruins. this man was pulled nine miles out to sea, rescued while floating on his roof top. another man rescued said he refused to die. my thoughts were focused on my family. i decided to make every effort to survive. that anyone survived the tsunami seems a miracle. witnesses say massive walls pouring past barreer, into homes. this woman is pregnant. >> i don't know exactly what's going on. >> reporter: authorities have announced rolling blackouts. lines for water and gas are getting longer, and bare shelves are the norm. the official death toll has pushed past 1500, and there are thousands more are still missing. >> as for radiation an estimated 1500 people have been tested. of those tested, 200 are pleased to -- believed to have been exposed. this those numbers might change in the next few days. >> alan: a search and rescue team from southern california has arrived at a u.s. air base in northern jail

joining us is "world news" anchor, diane sawyer, is who is there in sendai, japan, where the scope of the destruction is staggering. powerful aftershocks still rocking that region. >> japan and the world trying to deal with two overlapping crises, the humanitarian disaster and effort to control the nuclear emergency. as we said there was a third meltdown overnight. 11 injured in the blast. and after american officials detected radiation onboard "the uss ronald reagan," it was moved offshore. the americans have scrubbed down and believed to be out of danger. and, robin, we should emphasize the nuclear experts still believe that the chances of a full-scale meltdown are remote. but this humanitarian disaster even worse than we feared. >> the death toll may top 10,000, with reports of thousands of bodies washing ashore in one of the hardest hit villages. the disaster has also dealt a powerful blow to japan's economy. their stock market plunged overnight, as the government announced it would pump more than $200 billion into the economy. and we have new pictures for you to see. an aftershoc

bill whitaker, cbs news, sendai, japan. >>> the official death toll is just over 2,400 but officials suspect that more than 10,000 people have decide in the disaster so far. two people were found alive today after more than four days. ben tracy has more on the desperate search for sfichors. >> reporter: here in ishinomaki people are getting used to standing in line for food and water but this line is different. these people are standing in line to find out how their loved ones are doing. we are at the red cross hospital which is one of the only hospitals left in this area and if we swing around you can see people are waiting inside to go inside that tent and find out if their loved one has been treated at this hospital or whether they are dead or alive. inside the tent, it's quiet, as people scour the lists of names. >> translator: her mother. >> reporter: back in the line, this woman fears her only son is dead. people saw the tsunami wash him away in his car. medical helicopters take off regularly heading to make-shift evacuation centers like this one and families huddle in what use

the helicopters taking on fuel and we're going up to the sendai earthquake zone. japan is not a massive country. but part of that sendai area is quite remote. some the roads have been damaged. there are mountains in the greater area around there. that's hampering not just assessment but also relief and the delivery of supplies. on the hour-long ride to the city of sendai, near the epicenter, little evidence of the earthquake, much of the countryside appears unscathed. but as the chopper turns to the coast, the full extent of the devastation reveals itself. huge swaths of land along the coast remain under water. we fly past this massive plume of black smoke, billowing 3,000 feet into the air. the petrochemical plant below has been burning since the earthquake struck. and oil is spilling into the water. the government says it's already rescued 12,000 people and now the day has broken, new operations will get under way. but bad weather is predicted in the worst hit areas and that could hamper those operations. in addition, this country remains on high nuclear alert as the

both thousands of miles away in sendai, japan. >> -- in japan. >> reporter: and right inside your child'so build their houses back, and so -- so that's why. >> what i'm learning is that kids want to help. they want to know. and if we give them the opportunity to help, they really can make a difference. >> reporter: after last year's disaster in haiti, melissa's son wanted to help. so together the dallas mom helped him run a lemonade stand to raise money for relief. they made $150 in under two hours which sparked an even bigger idea. >> we set up a facebook page and this whole thing exploded through the power of social media. >> reporter: lemons to aid exploded all right. to more than 140 events. all run by children throughout america, israel, england and canada. a simple solution with a lifelong lesson. that whatever your age, conviction and compassion really can change the world. >> i feel good for doing this. >> indeed. thanks for watching. join us again monday on "the early show." >> for more about "the early show," visit us at cbsnews.com. >> so, ah, your seat good? got the mirrors al

high in japan two hundred people have reportedly been washed away with several others missing in japan sendai city will take here has been all but shuts down about two hundred fifty miles from where the wave struck by injuries widely reported by millions of without electricity and the nice international airport is also closed a ship with one hundred passengers on board has been washed away by the tsunami is whereabouts are unknown or twenty powerful aftershocks have been recorded since the first quake which was the strongest ever recorded in japan and the sixth biggest ever by the earthquake has now been felt in hawaii measuring four point five on the richter scale with the nominee raising expected within a few hours. or for more on the effect it's having in the wider pacific region including russia's far east has talked to our correspondent and he said now we any so what's the latest information that we're getting from russia's cycle in region those state of emergency has been declared in the cycling region that includes the very vulnerable real islands where the stores have already been str

we're going up to the sendai earthquake zone. japan is not a massive country. but part of the sendai area is quite remote. some of the roads have been damaged. there are mountains in the greater area. that is hampering assessment and relief and the delivery of supplies. on the hour-long ride to the city of sendai, near the epicenter, little evidence of the earthquake. much of the countryside appears unscathed. as we approach sendai, we see the city still standing. as the chopper turns to the coast, the full extent of the devastation reveals itself. huge swaths of land remain underwater. we fly past the plume of black smoke. billowing 3,000 feet into the air. the petrochemical plant below has been burning since the quake struck. and oil is spilling into the water. japanese rescue operations are been launched by sea and by land. search and rescue teams are coming from across europe, ah the united states, australia, and south korea. >> the longer time goes on, the less likely you'll find survivors. the imperative is for us to get there as soon as possible. >> repor

couric: finally tonight, americans have watched with horror and sadness the disaster in japan as towns like sendaiastated. but perhaps no u.s. city was as touched by the disaster as dallas. you see, dallas and sendai have become the best of friends. steve hartman now with tonight's "assignment america." >> reporter: we came here to dallas-- about as far from japan as you can get-- to meet the berries, who are about as asian as apple pie, and do a story about this typical texas family and its very atypical attachment to one japanese community. 50-year-old mark berry says when he saw that tsunami hit the town of sendai it was like watching it roll through his own backyard. >> i see that wave coming through just tearing those houses down, god, that hurts me almost as if i was there. >> reporter: mark got to know the people of sendai because the two towns are international friendship cities. dallas kids go there on exchanges, sendai kids come here. mark is chairman of the committee and has made nine trips to sendai. >> pretty much sure this is all gone. >> reporter: he has toured the local shrines and

now about two hundred people have reportedly been washed away several others missing on japan's sendai island that is a part of the coastal area that is closest to the epicenter of there are currently about fifty fires along the coastline about four million homes without power prime minister not the has been organizing an emergency response team to tackle the disaster according to of their reports they're having a bit of difficulty going to the quake hit areas because of the devastation communication is crippled the international airport is currently closed again that we heard a statement from russia's president dmitri medvedev he reiterated that they will help each other to deal with the catastrophe. commissioner. of course we're really to help our neighbors in overcoming these pictures of the severe earthquake and state of emergency has also been to clear our soil and the cool islands in the south hold reaching were all necessary measures must also be taken to prevent damage or loss of life that she normally has already reached our shores and we must all be consolidated each time and

one hundred people have acoustically been washed away with several others missing in japan sendai city takings been all but shut down with five injuries widely reported millions are without electricity international airport is also closed or twenty powerful aftershocks have been recorded since the first quake which was the strongest ever recorded in japan and the thick biggest ever an earthquake has now been felt in a whole line measuring it's all points guy tsunami waves expected within a few hours. well for more on the effects it sat having in the pacific region including russia's far east let's talk to our correspondent and he said now any so what's the latest information that we're guessing from russia's the hollin region. most nami i'll arm sounded in softening region which includes of course the real islands which are very vulnerable in terms of these tsunamis hitting russia's shores already three waves high have hit the poor line is reaching up to three meters high although there's been no damn is no facilities our buildings affected no victims reported authorities are taking th

japan doesn't include the effects of a tsunami. we have satellite pictures as well taken from digital global. this one shows you the damage done at the plant. the shot came out of sendaias head.it. it is pretty inten you can put the shots anywhere along the coastline of japan in you will see a similar scene. all lot of damage. let's get a check of our local weather. >> louisa: it looks like the bulk of the wet weather in san francisco really has passed. it is tapering out in terms of the wet weather. for the most portion of the day we will stay dry. we are watching is the high surf advisory. it kicks then at 11 n. m, lasting until about 11:00 p.m. we could get coastal flooding with this, and stronger rip currents. the rest of the week it will be wet weather continuing, but to more another storm comes through bringing us a few sprinkles. we could pick up three-quarters of an inch of rain. another system coming sir on thursday, it will be fairly weak. by friday, not notice how widespread that store ms.. certainly this strong a storm all week. we could pick up rainfall of about an inch and a half. plenty of wet weather ahead of us. right now the temperatures are in the '

japan time. the number of fatalities is sketchy. it's hard to get information because the entire country is devastated. it was centered around the city of sendai which is in the northeastern area of japan north of the island there. it happened off the water. it's a major, major city over a million people live there. big agriculture. the country is paralyzed. up to 60 people have died. but those numbers, if you saw this big wave of water engulf that city, it's incredible video. let's go to lawrence karnow. we are going to have some issues of our own here in the bay area around 8 a.m. >> yeah. we are all awaiting now a tsunami warning that's been issued along much of the west coast really all the way up into washington down to point conception. we are looking at wave heights of 2 feet. i know that doesn't sound like a lot, folks, but we are not talking your typical wave. this is where the water is going to rise, remember, it is shooting across the pacific right now at about 600 miles an hour so there is a ton of energy as the waves come on shore. the arrival time in hawaii about 5:07. they are expecting larger waves there. at crescent scene, 7:2

japan. this is sendai. who knows where this house started before the quake, but there it is jammed against the gas station even more grim when you look in the back window and see the baby crib but as bad as all of this is, it's just the tip of the pending looming disaster unfolding right now. already four different nuclear reactors have exploded, caught fire in this country and evacuations have intensified within recent hours. in fact, about 50 miles south of here was the most urgent catastrophe. our own david muir was much closer than we are, about 20 miles from that reactor when it blew and abc wisely ordered him to get out of there as fast as he could and he filed this report just before he left. >> reporter: tonight yap is dealing with yet another explosion at a nuclear reactor, the third one at the fukushima power plant and there are signs tonight that this could be their most dangerous explosion yet. this is the third explosion to rock the fukushima nuclear power plant and comes as japan's government

here's a look at the sendai coastline in eastern japan before the tsunami moved inland. as that tsunami made its way inland, you can see from outer space all the areas along the coastline that got inundated plus refinery fires up in the upper right-hand of the screen. how much land moved? well, the honshu central island here moved as much as eight feet during that earthquake. and we saw fracture zone of about 250 miles. so imagine that. that is further from san francisco, past san luis oh bis to is where we saw the horizontal break east of japan. in terms of the earth, enough of a shift happened with the earth's mass that the day actually became a little bit shorter by 1.6 microseconds, if you're counting, but the ax iks did shift by four inches. an earthquake of that size obviously has a tremendous aftershock sequence. 26 earthquakes so far above 6.0, and more than 100 at 5.0 or larger. >> we'll check in with you for the local weather in a little bit. we'll continue to monitor the earthquake throughout the weekend. right now a reporter is on his way to japan to cover th

i personally feel an obligation to help with the people of sendai over there. >> reporter: to that end, the dallas japansociety teamed up with their local cbs affiliate to do a phone-a-thon and other sister cities are doing the same, proving once again if you really want to be someone who values humanity, the best thing you can do is meet a lot of different humans. kind of an interesting footnote. the united states has more sister cities in japan than any other country. 188 in all. i'm steve hartman, cbs news. >>> and coming up later on "the early show," the latest on the allied attacks in libya, including an interview with senator john mccain. plus, the amazing one legged wrestler who just won a national championship. and astronaut scott kelly on his five months in space and seeing his sister-in-law, congressman gabrielle giffords, for the first time since she was shot. that's the "cbs morning news" for this tuesday. thanks for watching. i'm betty nguyen. thanks for watching. i'm betty nguyen. have a great day. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

sendai. they visit them in japan and they feared the worst. until they got an e-mail saying all of their school friends survived. it's a relief, but the teacher gets emotional thinking about the road ahead for his colleagues and friends. >> the teacher said it's a miracle. >> the teachers are asking for uniform and book donations so students can get back to school. students are supposed to visit and canceled their trip to japan and are raising money to help victims. >> whenever a large earthquake is in the movie. are we prepared? if you think your house will be standing, think again many homes are not seismically safe. >> when it comes to the nuts and bolts of seismic safety -- >> the uplift will be at the end of the panels. >> james gillette has it down. >> he has been retro fitting homes for more than 30 years. >> it works in a lateral direction up above. >> business is steady, he estimates 50% of bay area homes don't stand a chance when the big one hits. >> a surprisingly small number of homes in the san francisco bay area will resist major

sendai is definitely one of the major cities in japan.the fact they have experienced a quake this big will -- you know, you'll definitely feel the impact. >> akiko, with the building shaking violently and we've heard about landslides and collapsed buildings. so far you said there may be six to eight reported or confirmed deaths at this point. how great are the fears there the death toll will go well beyond that? >> reporter: i'm sorry. i'm going to have you repeat that as we're hearing -- they've been running these sort of announcements the whole time, telling people to stay out of the elevators. as we continue to get these aftershocks. i apologize, i didn't catch your question. >> you don't have to apologize. we understand you're reporting literally in the middle of chaos there. please, don't apologize. i was asking about the death toll, we're hearing about landslides and collapsed buildings and roof collapses. you said a few minutes ago, six to eight deaths confirmed at this point. there must be fears the death toll could soar a lot hig

new video of desndai japan, and out of- sendai, 25 0 mi. from japan. tokyo. this is the largest and the history. aftershocks, with 125, today, 6.5. between 200-300 were found along this coast. this town is over 1 million and inundated with the tsunami. still, 24 hours after the quake, rushed out roads, or prohibiting access to the area. incredible video of one town near this powerful tsunami. residents of forced and their homes, destroyed. cars, boats overcome by this strong ocean. over 200,000 people are living in temporary structures. since the earthquake, 1 million households to not have water. most in the northwest. 4 million buildings are without power in japan. the best for the chicken help victims is to dona. that you can-- help. the best with you can donate send ontest 90999 as a $10 donation text 90999. >> isabel: cleanup efforts in santa cruz. the search hitting the santa cruz harbor yesterday morning. at the - sug this remain in effect, along the coast, and advice to stay away from harbour, coastline. reggie kumar says that this news conference is

of the hour were in fact about the tidal wave and the devastation that caused in the north of japan is sendai near the epicenter of the earthquake where is the news now of course in the major glory radiation so it seems that only came on the agenda once they had that print press conference once that the chief secretary of the cabinet did confirm that there was indeed an explosion so now maybe they are telling the public thought the extent. of their worry ok i have many thanks for keeping us updated either bennett there reporting live for us from tape. well russia says it's ready to help for japan in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake and moscow can draw on a wealth of experience of course in coping with that chill and technological disasters will r.t. so let's hear the chef he joins us live from make here the ukrainian you got this cannot face right here in moscow for us if i could turn to you first because just what sort of advice and help can russia offer. well first of all at the moment it's perhaps too soon and too early to establish the final damage and the entire scale of the

japan for an industrialized nation that is already heavily indebted. the cost is still the epochal to cartilage. the consequences of potential nuclear disaster are not included in preliminary estimates. o>> sendai the biggest port in northeastern japan, lies in devastation. the earthquake and tsunami killed thousands of people, and hundreds of thousands of lost everything. the economic fallout is still the epochal to estimate. but it is likely to exceed the effects of the 1995 kobe earthquake. a portion was covered by insurers, who will be absorbing damages this time as well. but the burden of reconstruction will fall on japanese investors and businesses who have been major buyers of global debt. japanese investors have purchased 270 billion year rose and latin-american bonds. they also hold 500 billion euros of u.s. treasurys. but most of their money lies in european government bonds. that has eased pressure on eurozone nations burdened with sovereign debt, countries like spain and portugal, who now face a problem if japanese investors start selling overseas assets to pay for construction at home. >> japan's central bank has been pumping trillions of yen into the money markets to stabilize the

and given all the destruction there in japan including sendai's main hospital, we wondered, how would bay area hospitals, whether that same impact? we asked and we got some surprising answers. coming up in ten minutes, we'll show you the hospitals in need of urgent care and most at risk of collapsing here after a big earthquake. >>> first, though, we're following developing news on the peninsula tonight with the thrill of riding giant waves turned tragic. a professional big-wave surfer from hawaii was found unconscious in the water. nbc bay area's jean elle is live with more on what happened. jean? >> reporter: garvin, surfers came out of the mavericks break tonight with tears in their eyes after a big wave surfer was found floating in the water. >> it's impossible to keep track of everybody. it's hard to explain it. but the turbulence. >> reporter: big wave surfer grant washburn is reliving a painful accident at mavericks. professional surfer from hawaii was in the lineup this afternoon when something went wrong. the 35-year-old was found face down in the surf. >> i'm pretty sure th

smaller than california, a large percentage of japan felt the effects of the quake but the tsunami damage was worst in the region to the north of tokyo in sendai. lester hold is there heading up our coverage, lester, good evening. >> brian, good evening. you used the term a moment ago "hyperprepared nation." you get the sense if it was just the quake itself japan would have gotten back on its feet but the tsunami seemed to knock it over the edge, over the brink and now over the last 24 hours we've seen the sea giving back the dead, those who were cruelly swept out to sea last friday. the destruction extends as far as the eye can see, an almost incomprehensible landscape. emergency workers aided by troops pulling out more bodies today. there are few survivors left to find. japan hasn't seen anything like this since world war ii. friday's tsunami inundated communities shattered just moments before by the most powerful earthquake japan has ever seen. now three days later, more than a thousand bodies have washed ashore. many more are expected. nbc's ian williams saw the devastation firsthand. >> it's hard to imagine but until friday this wasteland

japan. this is sendai airport. begin to hit the island and look what happens as the water sweeps over, 11 minutes to be more precise, it shut the airport down. runways were flooded. you can see the jet way as the water surges in. this is remarkable power, unstoppable power. as we have reported, it reached up in the morning in santa cruz and other places on the california coast. >>> as the earthquake shook japan so savagely overnight. they described it from their offices. listen to some of the coverage. >> let's go back to what happened in 20 minutes in the sendai newsroom. this is what it looked like earlier on. cabinets falling. looks like a tsunami has been enveloping in the port. it looks like it's engulfed several cities. live footage as the tsunami has struck the area obviously engulfing farms, homes i long side the river you can see the white tsunami wave moving rapidly upstream. there is obviously somebody inside that building waving a white towel seeking help. >> a large earthquake magnitude 9.4 has hit jap

japan. help us, this devastation happened in the northeastern part of the country around the city of sendai. give us a sense of what that area was like before disaster struck. >> sure, it was a lovely part of japan. it was not as densely populated as other sections down further south, tokyo region and further south. but nonetheless it was a place where many japanese traveled as tourists for business trips. sendai was to the a small town. it was a 15th largest city in japan so a medium size city by japanese standards. >> woodruff: two million. >> 2 million population, when are you looking at the mid have clipses a lot of what you are seeing are a number of coastal villages, fishing port, for example, that fires are at. but sendai itself is a very modern city and a large city. >> woodruff: and highly populated. >> highly populated area. >> woodruff: chris meinig, help us understand. the earthquake hit and then there was triggered this tsunami. help us understand what happened there. >> sure. the earthquake was a very large earthquake, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake that happened about one kilomet

japan. they left a country scarred by catastrophe. this 11-year-old was evacuated from the sendai disaster zone. >> there was an earthquake in japan. and everything fell and a tsunami came. it was so scary. >> and what happened to you? how did you get out? >> i got out with my friends because i was in the school. so my parents came to pick me up. >> somehow, her family managed to escape. >> we are here. many people -- you take a train and you take a bus and you take a taxi. >> for those waiting for flights back to japan, it is a difficult and unsettling time too. while they have been away, their country has undergone a traumatic experience and they don't know what they will be returning to. >> we met her just as she was saying goodbye to her sister and mother who live in osaka. >> very worried about them because we are not sure what happened exactly. >> for the japanese passengers, emotions are mixed. relief having left the chaos behind intermingled with concern about what the future holds. >> let's get an update on the latest situation at the if you can jet streama power plant. t